Hike at a glance

5,370

Quick overview: The Blowhole to Shepherds Flat hike is a 13.8 km loop in Hepburn Regional Park with varied terrain. Starting at the Blowhole car park, you will cross Sailors Creek and walk through dense scrub, passing an abandoned stone house and open mine shafts. Expect slippery sections after rain, so exercise caution. The trail concludes at Shepherds Flat, allowing for a visit to the Blowhole viewing site along the way.

Length

13.8km

Duration

5 hrs

Difficulty

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Trail type

Circuit

Trail details

Max elevation: 494m
Min elevation: 343m
Total Ascent: 349m

Start: Blowhole Carpark

End: Blowhole Carpark

Location: Hepburn Regional Park

State: Victoria

Nearest town: Daylesford

State capital distance: 119km

Latitude: -37.30891807

Longitude: 144.11824464797976

Check current conditions
Track conditions, access and closures can change quickly due to weather, fire, maintenance or safety concerns. Always check the relevant land manager’s website and conditions before you visit. Trail Hiking Australia does not provide real-time track and closure monitoring, and land managers remain the authoritative source for current alerts, closures and access restrictions.

About the trail

Difficulty

Route map

Preparation

Getting there

Photos

The region

Weather

About this trail

Route in detail

The Blowhole to Shepherds Flat hike commences at the Blowhole car parking area and follow the marked Great Dividing Trail which descends to Sailors Creek. Cross the creek taking care during or after heavy rain. After crossing the creek, climb to a junction of four tracks. Take the right-hand vehicle track heading north then north-east and from in a northerly direction. After 2.9 km pass through an old gate and walk off-track through moderately dense scrub passing a deserted stone house on the right 300 m after the gate. After a further 500 m join Wayman Road and turning right follow it to the junction with Hepburn-Newstead Road. Continue along on the grass verge in a north-westerly direction for 1.4 km. Leave the sealed road at the Willow Cafe and follow Shepherds Flat-Weroona Road for 700 m before taking a minor track heading south.

Continue in a southerly direction off-track along a spur for about 1 km before meeting a track. Turn left and follow the track south-east and then south for 1.6 km keeping a watchful eye for open mine shafts until joining Basalt Gully Road. Follow the gravel road for 600 m then make a left turn along Boots Gully track with its steady climb for 1.2 km in a southerly direction. Turn east-north-east along Blowhole Track for 200 m before turning east-south-east along a poorly defined track which after 200 m becomes more clearly defined. Continue a further 800 m to a track junction visited earlier in the hike. Turn right along the track heading south-east and follow the remains of a former water race, which meanders along a contour in a south-easterly direction. Turn in a north-north-easterly direction to the Blowhole viewing site and then return to the car park.

Trail difficulty

Grade 3 (moderate) badge

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Moderate walks with some obstacles

Grade 3 walks may include short steep hills, formed tracks with some obstacles, rougher surfaces and many steps. Some bushwalking experience is recommended, and walkers may encounter natural hazards such as steep slopes, unstable surfaces or minor water crossings. Grade 3 walks are no longer than 20km.

Good to know: Not every Grade 3 characteristic will apply to every walk, so check the route description for the specific challenges of this hike.

Map and GPX file

Blowhole to Shepherds Flat Hike (13.8km)

Map of the route “Blowhole to Shepherds Flat Hike (13.8km)”: 13.75 km, 349 m of climbing and 350 m of descent, elevation between 343 m and 494 m. It is a loop that starts and ends at -37.30891, 144.11827 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 13.76 km
Max elevation: 494 m
Min elevation: 343 m
Total climbing: 349 m
Total descent: 350 m

GPX files, maps and content are copyright Trail Hiking Australia. Not to be copied, redistributed or uploaded to other platforms including AllTrails.

Preparation and safety

Trail tips

This hike involves off-trail walking and should therefore only be attempted by parties experienced in the use of map and compass and equipped with a topographic map covering the hike. The provided hike map is unsuitable for navigation purposes.

Steep tracks and steps may be slippery when wet. The stream crossing may be up to 10 m wide after rain. Some off-track is through thick scrub. Good walking shoes or boots are required and walking poles may be helpful.

Plan and prepare

Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. For a day hike, that means the right gear, weather-appropriate layers, enough food and water, and allowing time to finish in daylight. The day hike planning guide walks you through it.

The Hiking Safety Systems and planning calculators help you understand and close the gaps before you leave home. The Interactive Safety Scenarios show how small gaps turn into real incidents. If you’re new to planning hikes, start with the hike preparation guide.

Download the free hiking preparation and safety checklists before leaving home to help you think through your plans. They help ensure important considerations are not overlooked and support safer decision-making on the trail.

Let someone know

Before you go, complete a trip intentions form and share it with a trusted contact. Agree on a Late-Back Time and ask them to call 000 (Police) if you have not checked in. A clear trip plan is one of the simplest and most effective safety steps you can take, and it only takes two minutes.

Let someone know your plans →

Heading somewhere remote, off-track or overnight? Use the comprehensive trip intentions form instead, as your emergency contact will need more detail. Register your trip plan here →

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

From Melbourne head west via the M1, M80 and the Western Freeway/Highway (M8) and take the C141 exit, turning north to Daylesford. From Daylesford continue north on Main Road for about 4 km, turn left onto Hepburn-Newstead Road and continue for 1.3 km to Eighteenth Street. Turn left and follow this road for 800 m and turn right into Blowhole Road. Continue for a further 600 m to the Blowhole parking area.

Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Blackwood, Castlemaine, Creswick, Daylesford, Guildford, Malmsbury, Newstead, Trentham

Find somewhere to stay near the trailhead. Click the button below to open an interactive map automatically centred on this hike's location.

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Travel arrangements

Whether you are travelling from across Australia or exploring closer to home, these options can help you organise your journey to the trail and make the most of your visit.

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Photo gallery

Blowhole to Shepherds Flat Hike (13.8km)

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Explore the region

About the region

Centred on Sailors Creek and wrapped around Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs, Hepburn Regional Park sits in one of Victoria's most distinctive inland landscapes, where bushland, old goldfields and mineral water country meet. The park is part of the Central Highlands, but it feels different from the taller, wetter forests nearby. Here the terrain is deeply cut by gullies and creek lines, with pockets of ferny shade giving way to drier slopes, old diggings and open forest.

Mineral springs are one of the region's signatures, and they help explain why this area developed such a strong identity beyond its gold rush history. Around Hepburn Springs and Daylesford, groundwater rises through mineral-rich rocks to create the concentration of springs for which the district is famous. Within the park and its adjoining reserves, those springs sit alongside creek flats, historic water races and mining remains, so the landscape often carries both natural and human stories in the same view.

Hepburn Regional Park also lies on Dja Dja Wurrung Country and is jointly managed as part of the Dja Dja Wurrung parks. This is living cultural country, not simply a scenic backdrop, and the broader landscape includes places, stories and materials that long predate the arrival of miners and spa visitors. That deeper continuity matters here because the park's present character is not only the result of forest recovery after clearing and digging, but of much older relationships between people, water and Country.

Another thread running through the region is volcanism. At nearby Lalgambuk, better known to many visitors as Mount Franklin, an extinct volcano rises from the surrounding forest and adds another layer to the area's geology. Together with the mineral springs, gullied creek country and traces of nineteenth-century mining, it gives Hepburn Regional Park a setting that is unusually varied for a relatively compact part of central Victoria.

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Weather on the trail

The map shows the rain forecast for the trail area. Use the toggle in the top right corner to switch layers, including wind, temperature, UV index, thunderstorms, fire danger and weather warnings. Windy is a forecast model, not an official warning service. Check the Bureau of Meteorology for current warnings before you go.

Trail reviews

10 Reviews on “Blowhole to Shepherds Flat Hike (13.8km)”

Overall rating

Donna Spiller

Paige Hogan looks like a fun day out

24/03/2022, 05:23

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Rachel Raa Raa

Sian – David should this be on our list. Not sure if it’s near Daylesford

24/03/2022, 05:23

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Bree Bonaccorso

Oliver Bonaccorso

24/03/2022, 05:23

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Lynn Peterson

Sharyn Kitchen I’m soooooooooo hanging out for a walk in the beautiful bush.

24/03/2022, 05:23

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LS Gorms

Here’s the link, hard the tell exactly what is closed though http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/hepburn-r.p/things-to-do/blow-hole

24/03/2022, 05:23

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1. LS Gorms
  
  I read somewhere that the track to the blowhole is closed? I’ll find the page and post it here. Recently linked the Three Lost Children’s and Great Divide Trail to create a close to 20km loop hike. Was a good walk!
  
  24/03/2022, 05:23
  
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  1. Gee Brown
    
    I will be in town for a gym session so yes. I can meet to discuss interest. 🙂
    
    24/03/2022, 05:23
    
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    1. Lucy Roberts
      
      It looks really good
      
      24/03/2022, 05:23
      
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      1. Lynn Peterson
        
        I’ve only done 10k
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
    2. Donna Spiller
      
      Joel Spiller you’re not Paige !
      
      24/03/2022, 05:23
      
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  2. Michelle Wyard
    
    Jill
    
    24/03/2022, 05:23
    
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  3. Grant Smith
    
    Liz Maggs Smith
    
    24/03/2022, 05:23
    
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    1. Cheryl Nash
      
      Looks a good track…..close to home …..
      
      24/03/2022, 05:23
      
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      1. Carolyn Bennett
        
        Lucy Roberts, a nice for you and I to do?
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
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      2. Sharyn Kitchen
        
        Lynn Peterson …your fitter than me ?
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
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      3. Sharyn Kitchen
        
        Lynn Peterson ?
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
      4. Tayla Gobbo
        
        Maddison Ruggiero
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
      5. Bec Maree
        
        Madeline Keating
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
      6. Jo Tyson
        
        Martin looks nice.
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
      7. Maurs Rixon
        
        Mike Rixon
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
        Like
      8. Joel Spiller
        
        no it doesnt
        
        24/03/2022, 05:23
        
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2. Shawn Whittle
  
  Jason Whittle
  
  24/03/2022, 05:23
  
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3. Jozica Kutin
  
  Julie Roberts when you join us again
  
  24/03/2022, 05:23
  
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4. Paige Hogan
  
  Let’s do it together and leave Joel Spiller at home
  
  24/03/2022, 05:23
  
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Acknowledgement of Country

Blowhole to shepherds flat hike (13. 8km) - trail hiking australia

Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

August 12, 2026

Hike at a glance

Trail details

About this trail

Route in detail

Trail difficulty

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Map and GPX file

Preparation and safety

Trail tips

Plan and prepare

Let someone know

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

Accommodation nearby

Travel arrangements

Photo gallery

Explore the region

About the region

Discover activities

More hikes nearby

Blowhole & Bald Hill Hike (16.7km)

Jacksons Lookout & Breakneck Gorge Hike (11.6km)

Tipperary Twin Bridges Circuit Hike (24km)

The Three Lost Children Walk (15km)

Explore hikes by town

Weather on the trail

Trail reviews

10 Reviews on “Blowhole to Shepherds Flat Hike (13.8km)”

Leave a Review. Cancel reply

Notice something different about this trail?

Acknowledgement of Country

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

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